i daydream in WONKA.VISION

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

– Anne Frank

thankyou::

james & stacey kirkham: for living the kind of love, faith and strength that people strive for their entire lives.

brother: with out you i would not be me. not even close to it.

jenny: for having the same soul i do. there are almost no words to express my gratitude toward your being.

mike: for turning (almost) everything in to a joke but not being afraid to have a meaningful conversation. for believing in the things i attempt to accomplish.

molly: for always, with out fail, for ever and ever, making me laugh. and for being a very, very good adventure buddy.

mason: for yoga (i know you are also going to want me to thank you for being the funniest person on planet earth, so thank you for always being a huge goofball).

andrew & joanna: for inspiring me to be in love and travel around the world only to see it through each other's eyes. for allowing me to continue to believe that it is possible. never forget how special that is.

oliver(bestie): for being truly the best, even from a million miles away.

oli: for your cup of tea cravings, your ridiculous english banter, your endless humor and childlike spirit. for your belief in the universe. and truly just for being you. you amaze me and make me smile. always.

samantha(fargo): for your accent you didn't know you have and for always asking questions. i believe in who you are becoming, i hope you can believe in it a little more, too. because in some way, you make me believe in who i am.

alexa, my littlest friend: for showing me what a good soul is like. for allowing me to be Broken Open and for dancing with the beautiful rhythm of life like no one else i have ever met.

katherine: for missed phone calls and longest voicemails ever. for your strength and dedication. and for your continued friendship and your everlasting belief in who i am.

alysha: for morning coffees and happy hour dates and always making time for our friendship. for knowing that it is important to know God.

kosta: for continuing to see me even when i am no longer there.

tobias: for always catching me on a day when i could use a joke. and always, always, having a joke for everything.

vicky: for having the most gracious and kindest heart of anyone i have ever had the pleasure of meeting.

kim hess: for always being on my mind. i love your spirit.

if i have not mentioned someone it is not because i do not love you. in fact, i really do love just about everyone... i have just felt the need to write about these people now, for their recent and continued love and support. and for always being on my mind.

love is simple when you have found souls like these. the family that encourages me to be a better person.

we as people, friends, lovers, ex-whatevers, cousins, etc. do not;

talk enough,

smile enough,

say bless you to strangers enough,

listen to our hearts enough,

look at each other in the eyes enough,

allow ourselves to truly feel enough,

say thank you enough.

love more. love always. love now.

home is where: the heart is

my home doesn't consist of where i sleep, where i rest my feet after a long day or where i get ready in the morning.

my home is much more than that.

it is dreams and visions of great todays and better tomorrows.

it is friendships and relationships i have nurtured over the years.

it is my happiest thoughts and my ambitions for an adventurous future.

it is the love i feel for all of those who have touched my heart and made me a better person.

it is the look in people's eyes when i thank them for being who they are.

it is the challenges i face each and every day and the strength and courage i muster up to get through the hard ones.

it is the smiles on the faces of the people on the bus i do not know but might like to know, because who knows, we could get to know each other quite well.

it is the smile my heart feels when i think of the love i have shared with very few people intimately and the love i have shared with a lot of people broadly.

it is the sand between my toes and the wind that howls through the moonlit air.

i may have a home... yes.

a place to rest my feet. a place to lay my head. a closet for my belongings.

but my home is much more than that.

my home can be found any where there is love to be shared.

it can be found along the paths between rivers and forests, between sea and land.

it can be found in the dusty, crowded streets when children look up at you with that twinkle in their eye that only children can posses.

it can be found at night, alone, sitting with my own self and my own heart contemplating, why?

it can be found in the coldness of someone who was once my best friend, and in the warmth of those who refuse to give up on me.

yes, my home can vastly be found in others. in the ones i love,

for i do not care if i have a home as long as my soul can dance with theirs.